YIAGA Africa, a civil society organisation, held a round-table event in Abuja, Nigeria, on tackling voter suppression in Nigeria under the organisation’s ‘Watching the Vote’ campaign. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was also in attendance at the event.  Both organisations stated that the ongoing constitutional amendment and the electoral legal framework should capture sanctions for voter suppression either by state or non-state actors.

Speaking at the event, the INEC National Commissioner, Prof. Anthonia Okoosi-Simbine, said, ‘[A]ll stakeholders need to be involved in the fight against voter suppression. Some [things] are intentionally done in certain areas to scare people from coming out. [Previous] elections have shown that the Commission, more than ever before, must increase efforts towards improving the electoral processes’.

Source: Daily Trust

Photo source: Newtown Grafitti